Yikes, it's been over a month since I posted. So much for keeping Reese informed about what was going on while we waited for her. It dawned on me that the wait may turn in to so many months that her biological parents may not know eachother yet! I am sure she is not even conceived. But God knows who she is and who she will be, so I will keep the faith that someday, our sweet Reese will join us for our Party of Five!
So, here's what's new...
I'll start with Tim since he's the head of the house! School is going fine for him, with the exception of one class that is full of kids who refuse to do any work (for example, they will write their name at the top of a worksheet and then turn it in, with out doing one question) and are mouthy, disrespectful and mean. He still hates his schedule, so hopefully someone will get it fixed for next year back to the way it was. Tim was nominated to be a deacon at our church and of course, he was voted in, so his service will start in January- I am so proud of him! I think he will enjoy being involved and serving SHCC using his talents!
Ryleigh started the enrichment class this week and so far it's going great! What an answer to prayer! Her teacher tells me funny stories about her all the time and said she is the most observant child she's ever had. She said that Ryleigh is constantly feeding her good info about what's going on! I am not the least bit surprised, she's been like that her whole life! She'll either be a detective or a gossip columnist when she grows up! She's doing great in basketball. We have lost all 3 games so far, but we have improved and I know we will catch up with the teams that already have a season or two under their belts already! She practiced last Sunday for a long time and challenged herself to once again make 100 baskets before we went inside. We need to work on her aggresiveness, but I think it will come with experience. I have been so happy with the team, they have all improved so much and it is so much fun! Ryleigh is doing well with her piano playing. She doesn't practice as much as she should, but it's mainly due to our busy schedules. It's great to finally hear her play songs we can recognize! Ryleigh made an adorable rock star girl on Halloween- very cool and full of moves!
Reagan is still our happy little bundle of energy! She passed all but 3 things on her first gymnastics evaluation and still loves every minute she is there. She has become good buddies with Patyn in her class and she comes over every Tuesday so her mommy can get stuff done. Reagan amazed her P.A.T. educator again this month! She was copying Gail's writing and she was doing things not normally done until 4 years old! She's so funny with her High School Musical notebook and pen, she writes and writes and writes. She knows about half of the letters now and all the ones she know she can tell you something that starts with that letter- her favorite's being of course, R for Reagan and M for mommy!!! She is constantly cracking me up with the things she says! She made the most adorable Snow White ever on Halloween. She has the perfect hair and sweet smile to be a princess! Tim even carved a pumpkin with Snow White on it!
Then there is me... still babysitting, still teaching Wednesday children's program at church- which is going so well! We are preparing for our Christmas program and it is going to be the best ever- the kids are working so hard and it's a really funny production. I am so proud of all the kids. I am still loving my Moms In Touch group. I feel so close to the women I pray with and I can feel God working in our lives and answering our prayers each week. My mom is still coming every Friday to watch all the kids so I can volunteer at Esther Elementary. It's such a nice break for me to sit and do busy work in the work room. I love it! I love being involved in Ryleigh's class, getting to know her teacher and the other kids. Coaching basketball takes up a chunk of my time, too, so I keep busy! However, I have found some free time to pursue a new career which I am extremely excited about! Our church is going to start a preschool/childcare program and I am going to be the director! It's something I have wanted to do for so long, but never knew how to get started, but I am taking a leap of faith and going for it! Our church is going to be adding on soon and it appears that now is the perfect time to start a small program that can grow as the church does. I worked some long hard hours on a plan to propose to the Board of Deacons and Elders and I presented it last Monday night. It was absolutely amazing the amount of support and excitement that there is for this project! I am so proud and anxious and excited and overwhelmed to be a part of something that is going to change this town! Reagan will be in the first class, just as I was the first class at the preschool my mom helped start! It was hard to tell the families that I babysit for, but they all know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was meant for the job! I will be working with them to find a replacement for all the kids, I don't want just anyone to take care of these kiddos that feel partly mine! Hopefully they will all come to preschool at Bright Beginning at SHCC!
So, needless to say, we are all enjoying God's blessings and enjoying family life! The only thing missing is Reese. We got the Places Everyone email today and there are 58 log in dates before us. We are still in the "pending review" category. She'll be worth the wait and in the meantime we will keep chugging along on this road of life being happy with all we have already been blessed with.
I'm still working on the picture thing... sorry!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Busy, Busy, Busy (But lovin' every minute of it!)
I have been meaning to sit down and update for several days, but for one reason or another I haven't gotten around to it! I also going to figure out how to post pictures, because pictures of my girls are better than me rambling anyway!! So, here's what's new...
Ryleigh had a terrific couple of weeks at school, until last Friday when the fire alarms went off (apparently a preschool teacher set a plastic bowl on a burner that was on) at school. So she freaked and cried. I was there volunteering, which I think made matters worse. She ended up crying for most of the morning. A definite thumbs down day. Oh, well, honestly I believe she is entitled to a bad day every now and then. On her own, she wrote letters of apology to her teacher and the music teacher (she cried all through music, too). She can be so big and grown up, it just baffles me why she can't control the crying. I am praying that she will be able to start the gifted class in the 2nd quarter so at least the work will be more challenging. We have parent/teacher conferences in a few weeks and we will make a decision with her teacher then.
Basketball is going super! I love coaching, it's difficult when there is so much to teach them, but it's so much fun! Ryleigh is getting a lot better and I am anxious for our first game on Nov. 1st.
We are knee deep in birthday party preparations for Ryleigh's 7th birthday. We are having a High School Musical theme and let me just say how much fun that is!!!!! I'm holding myself back from decorating a week and a half early because I am so excited to see what everything looks like! We are setting up a high school in the basement with a science lab, gym, library, cafeteria, music room, and detention (Ry thought of that all on her own!!). I know, I know, we go overboard for birthdays, but I LOVE it!
Okay, on to Reagan a.k.a. my little Sugar Pot Pie. She is so funny lately!!! We have transformed her room into a big girl room with a twin bed, new shelves, and a new dresser! It's still all ladybuggy and still extremely cute! She is getting so big, her jeans today are a 3T!!! Yikes, I cannot believe it! She is doing great keeping her panties dry and loves to go through the list of who all she loves! We do kind of a matching game where I say I love Grandma and she says I love PaPa. Then I say I love Sierra and she says I love Holly! She is really good to know who goes with who!!! She is learning her letters without a lot of practice and help which is amazing. I decided there isn't much of a point in teaching her all the stuff I taught Ryleigh because I have seen that they relearn it all in preschool and kindergarten and first grade. But, as usual, the teacher in me comes out and I seize the "teachable moment" too often. She is such a little blessing to me. I hope she is always as happy as she is at this age. She is such a goofball and she lights up a room with her smile and funny expressions! She and Ryleigh have really been playing great together, too! It's so much fun watching them grow together!
We are getting pumped up for Halloween, even though it's not one of my favorite holidays (mainly since our house was paintballed a few years ago). Ryleigh finally decided to be a Rock Star girl and we found some cute accessories for her. Reagan is going to be Snow White! Our friend Klaire is having a costume party for her 2nd birthday, so we get to dress up this Friday night! I am working with another mom on Ryleigh's class party, too! Fun, fun, fun!
Tim's grandma Eula had surgery today to have a mass removed from her ovary. They took everything out while they were in there and the great news is that the mass was not cancerous. Praise God for that. She did well in the surgery, so I hope she will have a speedy recovery.
The rumors about China are not looking good as far as a timeline. I try to be understanding and I try to look at it logically. Less babies are being abandoned, which is a good thing (isn't it?? sometimes I am selfish and think that America is a better place so the more children that have a chance here, the better- then I feel totally guilty and bad for saying and thinking that) and so many people want to adopt from China, so there is a huge backlog. There is not hope of getting Reese's referral in the next year, as the people who are up next for referrals were logged in way back in December 2005. Our LID is March 8, 2007, that's a long, long time until we are up next. I know the wait will get harder and there is no sense getting down about it at this point. I just have to enjoy my girls and pray for Reese's birth family because waiting for my baby who will be with me forever is a lot easier than carry a child hoping for a son and then having to abandon a precious baby girl that will never be seen again by the parents who gave her life. It's such a heart breaking situation for them. Especially when I see all the little China girls with their new families and they are just so special! I wish Reagan's birth family could know how loved she is and how perfect she fits in her family. God knows what He is doing, that's for sure. I have been given the most awesome gift from China that I could ever imagine. So, even if I have to wait 3 more years, I will do it because in the end it will be worth the wait.
I gotta stop there I am getting way to emotional!
Ryleigh had a terrific couple of weeks at school, until last Friday when the fire alarms went off (apparently a preschool teacher set a plastic bowl on a burner that was on) at school. So she freaked and cried. I was there volunteering, which I think made matters worse. She ended up crying for most of the morning. A definite thumbs down day. Oh, well, honestly I believe she is entitled to a bad day every now and then. On her own, she wrote letters of apology to her teacher and the music teacher (she cried all through music, too). She can be so big and grown up, it just baffles me why she can't control the crying. I am praying that she will be able to start the gifted class in the 2nd quarter so at least the work will be more challenging. We have parent/teacher conferences in a few weeks and we will make a decision with her teacher then.
Basketball is going super! I love coaching, it's difficult when there is so much to teach them, but it's so much fun! Ryleigh is getting a lot better and I am anxious for our first game on Nov. 1st.
We are knee deep in birthday party preparations for Ryleigh's 7th birthday. We are having a High School Musical theme and let me just say how much fun that is!!!!! I'm holding myself back from decorating a week and a half early because I am so excited to see what everything looks like! We are setting up a high school in the basement with a science lab, gym, library, cafeteria, music room, and detention (Ry thought of that all on her own!!). I know, I know, we go overboard for birthdays, but I LOVE it!
Okay, on to Reagan a.k.a. my little Sugar Pot Pie. She is so funny lately!!! We have transformed her room into a big girl room with a twin bed, new shelves, and a new dresser! It's still all ladybuggy and still extremely cute! She is getting so big, her jeans today are a 3T!!! Yikes, I cannot believe it! She is doing great keeping her panties dry and loves to go through the list of who all she loves! We do kind of a matching game where I say I love Grandma and she says I love PaPa. Then I say I love Sierra and she says I love Holly! She is really good to know who goes with who!!! She is learning her letters without a lot of practice and help which is amazing. I decided there isn't much of a point in teaching her all the stuff I taught Ryleigh because I have seen that they relearn it all in preschool and kindergarten and first grade. But, as usual, the teacher in me comes out and I seize the "teachable moment" too often. She is such a little blessing to me. I hope she is always as happy as she is at this age. She is such a goofball and she lights up a room with her smile and funny expressions! She and Ryleigh have really been playing great together, too! It's so much fun watching them grow together!
We are getting pumped up for Halloween, even though it's not one of my favorite holidays (mainly since our house was paintballed a few years ago). Ryleigh finally decided to be a Rock Star girl and we found some cute accessories for her. Reagan is going to be Snow White! Our friend Klaire is having a costume party for her 2nd birthday, so we get to dress up this Friday night! I am working with another mom on Ryleigh's class party, too! Fun, fun, fun!
Tim's grandma Eula had surgery today to have a mass removed from her ovary. They took everything out while they were in there and the great news is that the mass was not cancerous. Praise God for that. She did well in the surgery, so I hope she will have a speedy recovery.
The rumors about China are not looking good as far as a timeline. I try to be understanding and I try to look at it logically. Less babies are being abandoned, which is a good thing (isn't it?? sometimes I am selfish and think that America is a better place so the more children that have a chance here, the better- then I feel totally guilty and bad for saying and thinking that) and so many people want to adopt from China, so there is a huge backlog. There is not hope of getting Reese's referral in the next year, as the people who are up next for referrals were logged in way back in December 2005. Our LID is March 8, 2007, that's a long, long time until we are up next. I know the wait will get harder and there is no sense getting down about it at this point. I just have to enjoy my girls and pray for Reese's birth family because waiting for my baby who will be with me forever is a lot easier than carry a child hoping for a son and then having to abandon a precious baby girl that will never be seen again by the parents who gave her life. It's such a heart breaking situation for them. Especially when I see all the little China girls with their new families and they are just so special! I wish Reagan's birth family could know how loved she is and how perfect she fits in her family. God knows what He is doing, that's for sure. I have been given the most awesome gift from China that I could ever imagine. So, even if I have to wait 3 more years, I will do it because in the end it will be worth the wait.
I gotta stop there I am getting way to emotional!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Moms In Touch
I have had a total revelation in my life and it started a few weeks ago when I attended my first Moms In Touch meeting. MIT is a prayer group. We meet to pray for our children and the schools they attend. It was a little intimidating to me because I have not had a lot of experience praying outloud in front of people. But, my friend, Becky, borrowed this quote from another friend from church, Debbie. When Debbie was trying to work in this hour of prayer time for her children, someone told her "If you don't pray for your children, who will". How true is that? I cannot even begin to describe what a difference this group has already made in my life and Ryleigh's life. I feel so at peace knowing these 4 other women are praying for Ryleigh and that I can pray for these other kindergartner and first graders. The fact is that we all could use people praying for us and when I send Ry to school everyday, I want God to watch over her and guide her and when we pray together at the beginning of the week I feel God's presence and love. It gets so emotional talking about the things our kids are facing at school, especially on the playground. So, my goal is to spread the word about MIT because it is the single most important thing I can do for my children!!!!!!
Ryleigh has been doing great at school. I am hoping at the start of the second quarter she will be able to go to the enrichment class. I just want her to be challenged. I understand that they have to review and that not everyone is on the same level, but I feel sorry for her that she isn't learning very much at school. I think this has so much to do with her crying and not wanting to be there. I think if she doesn't learn to work through hard work, she will never know what to do when faced with challenging work later. Just a mom's theory!!!!
Reagan is turning into quite the commedian! She makes the funniest comments, like she really knows how to tell a joke! We have become quite addicted to the High School Musical craze and she will say "I love Gabriella, sissy loves Troy" so cute! She wanted to use her own money to buy a HSM notebook with a picture of the cast on it. She was riding in the cart at Wal-Mart and she was pointing to them saying "that's Gabriella, that's Troy" Then she pointed to the Chad character who has big poofy hair and she said "who's that? maybe his name's Hairy!!!!" She just laughed and laughed and of course we were dying it was so funny! I just love her age, where she is in between being a baby and big girl! Her personality is hilarious! What a blessing she is! I am seriously considering campaining to Tim to have Reese's middle name be Gabriella, just because of the cute way she says it!
Speaking of HSM, we are planning Ryleigh's 7th birthday party ( I cannot believe she will be 7) and she wants to have a HSM party, so we are having a blast planning it. She has come up with some great ideas and I found a lot of stuff on the internet, too! I think birthday parties are so much fun!!!! And this one may just be the best one yet!!! More on that later...
So, my new favorite question to ask myself daily is what I said before... If you don't pray for your kids, who will? If you have school age children or grandchildren and aren't in a Moms in Touch group, what are you waiting for? It will change your life and the lives of your children! If I can do it, anyone can!!!!
Blessings to anyone who reads this!!!!
Ryleigh has been doing great at school. I am hoping at the start of the second quarter she will be able to go to the enrichment class. I just want her to be challenged. I understand that they have to review and that not everyone is on the same level, but I feel sorry for her that she isn't learning very much at school. I think this has so much to do with her crying and not wanting to be there. I think if she doesn't learn to work through hard work, she will never know what to do when faced with challenging work later. Just a mom's theory!!!!
Reagan is turning into quite the commedian! She makes the funniest comments, like she really knows how to tell a joke! We have become quite addicted to the High School Musical craze and she will say "I love Gabriella, sissy loves Troy" so cute! She wanted to use her own money to buy a HSM notebook with a picture of the cast on it. She was riding in the cart at Wal-Mart and she was pointing to them saying "that's Gabriella, that's Troy" Then she pointed to the Chad character who has big poofy hair and she said "who's that? maybe his name's Hairy!!!!" She just laughed and laughed and of course we were dying it was so funny! I just love her age, where she is in between being a baby and big girl! Her personality is hilarious! What a blessing she is! I am seriously considering campaining to Tim to have Reese's middle name be Gabriella, just because of the cute way she says it!
Speaking of HSM, we are planning Ryleigh's 7th birthday party ( I cannot believe she will be 7) and she wants to have a HSM party, so we are having a blast planning it. She has come up with some great ideas and I found a lot of stuff on the internet, too! I think birthday parties are so much fun!!!! And this one may just be the best one yet!!! More on that later...
So, my new favorite question to ask myself daily is what I said before... If you don't pray for your kids, who will? If you have school age children or grandchildren and aren't in a Moms in Touch group, what are you waiting for? It will change your life and the lives of your children! If I can do it, anyone can!!!!
Blessings to anyone who reads this!!!!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Trying to Get Settled Around Here
Well, it seems I am not the only one having the "first grade blues" as I posted earlier. Ryleigh is struggling to enjoy school this year. She has been crying a lot and after discussing it with her teacher we have tried to work really hard to figure out how to prevent these meltdowns. I think there are two main causes of her not being happy all day at school: #1 She is bored. #2 She is overly sensitive. We all love Mrs. Coffman and she has been wonderful. She has lots of friends in her class. Everything would seem to be just terrific, but that has not been the case. We have added "Being a big girl at school" to her list of jobs on her weekly job chart and that has helped. We have tried to teach her how to manage her feelings better. I know in time she will be fine, but it sure breaks your heart knowing your child isn't happy go luckily like first graders should be. Her beginning of the year test scores show that she is gifted, so hopefully she will be able to go to the enrichment class very soon. I am so proud of her for scoring so high! I am praying that she can stay focused on all the talents God has given her and not worry about anything else!
We had a fun get together Saturday at Incredible Pizza with our Ozarks adoption group. It's always so neat to see all the kids and visit with the parents. What a blessing to have that support in this area. Especially when there are ignorant white trash, psycho people living right here amongst us! We got an email from one such person a couple of weeks ago. Since then we have discovered where she lives and quite a bit about her lifestyle and stupidity. She was berrating us for being "unamerican" because we chose to adopt from China instead of a "homeless" American child. She went on and on and used some language I would never repeat. I could really go off on a tangent here, but I will take the high road and just be thankful for all of the love and support and encouragement we have received from 99% of the people we meet. How can anyone be so stupid? Especially when you see Reagan's adorable face and see what a perfect part of our family she is. UGH, it makes me ill to think that someone is raising three kids in such a horrible, racist home. Enough said.
Our Christmas program practices are going awesome! I am so excited for the kids to put on this program. They are so talented and sweet! I love working with them! It's amazing how they can be so young, yet have all this love for Jesus just overflowing from them! I feel like we are off to a great start this fall!
Basketball has also started and of course, I am just thrilled that Ryleigh is so eager to play! I am working with 2 other moms and we had our first practice last Thursday! The girls did great and I think we will have so much fun! We bought Ryleigh her first pair of basketball shoes- yellow and black Air Jordan's!!!!! They are very cool and perfect for a Little Lady Jacket! Our games will start at the end of October and we are going to practice a couple of times a week until then.
Reagan is loving gymnastics! She is such a good listener and does so well! She is so cute in her leotard with the little grin of hers! She loves to balance on one foot and hang on the bars like a little monkey! She is getting to be such a big girl- no accidents lately and she even got moved up to the big class at Sunday school!!! Yikes, no more nursery! It's a little bit sad! I am so proud of her though! She is such a good girl!
How did I get so lucky? We waited so long for our second child and I just always felt like I wasn't good enough or something, so I wasn't being given the gift of another baby. Now I just feel like, golly- what did I do to deserve such a perfect life? God certainly has a way of turning our darkest days into something unimaginably wonderful!!! My girls and my husband are the best!
As usual, no news about Reese. The only small ray of hope we have heard is that indeed more orphanages are opening up for international adoption. We found that out because the orphanage where Reagan was abandoned (at 10 days old she moved to Jianxin, where she was until she joined our family) has just started getting babies "paper ready" so they can be adopted. We got to see some referral photos of Poyang SWI and my heart skipped a beat seeing the buildings in the background, just knowing that Reagan's birth family left her there. I never thought we would be able to see it because it is so remote. It was nice to finally have another piece of her past to show her later. There are some adorable babies being referred from there!
Hopefully this week will be a good one for the Tuckers!
We had a fun get together Saturday at Incredible Pizza with our Ozarks adoption group. It's always so neat to see all the kids and visit with the parents. What a blessing to have that support in this area. Especially when there are ignorant white trash, psycho people living right here amongst us! We got an email from one such person a couple of weeks ago. Since then we have discovered where she lives and quite a bit about her lifestyle and stupidity. She was berrating us for being "unamerican" because we chose to adopt from China instead of a "homeless" American child. She went on and on and used some language I would never repeat. I could really go off on a tangent here, but I will take the high road and just be thankful for all of the love and support and encouragement we have received from 99% of the people we meet. How can anyone be so stupid? Especially when you see Reagan's adorable face and see what a perfect part of our family she is. UGH, it makes me ill to think that someone is raising three kids in such a horrible, racist home. Enough said.
Our Christmas program practices are going awesome! I am so excited for the kids to put on this program. They are so talented and sweet! I love working with them! It's amazing how they can be so young, yet have all this love for Jesus just overflowing from them! I feel like we are off to a great start this fall!
Basketball has also started and of course, I am just thrilled that Ryleigh is so eager to play! I am working with 2 other moms and we had our first practice last Thursday! The girls did great and I think we will have so much fun! We bought Ryleigh her first pair of basketball shoes- yellow and black Air Jordan's!!!!! They are very cool and perfect for a Little Lady Jacket! Our games will start at the end of October and we are going to practice a couple of times a week until then.
Reagan is loving gymnastics! She is such a good listener and does so well! She is so cute in her leotard with the little grin of hers! She loves to balance on one foot and hang on the bars like a little monkey! She is getting to be such a big girl- no accidents lately and she even got moved up to the big class at Sunday school!!! Yikes, no more nursery! It's a little bit sad! I am so proud of her though! She is such a good girl!
How did I get so lucky? We waited so long for our second child and I just always felt like I wasn't good enough or something, so I wasn't being given the gift of another baby. Now I just feel like, golly- what did I do to deserve such a perfect life? God certainly has a way of turning our darkest days into something unimaginably wonderful!!! My girls and my husband are the best!
As usual, no news about Reese. The only small ray of hope we have heard is that indeed more orphanages are opening up for international adoption. We found that out because the orphanage where Reagan was abandoned (at 10 days old she moved to Jianxin, where she was until she joined our family) has just started getting babies "paper ready" so they can be adopted. We got to see some referral photos of Poyang SWI and my heart skipped a beat seeing the buildings in the background, just knowing that Reagan's birth family left her there. I never thought we would be able to see it because it is so remote. It was nice to finally have another piece of her past to show her later. There are some adorable babies being referred from there!
Hopefully this week will be a good one for the Tuckers!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Girls Night Out
A new tradition with my good friends Jill, Stacy, and Erin is to have G.N.O. once a month. It's awesome!!!! Every part about it makes me smile- I feel so blessed to have these wonderful women in my life- they know me and still love me despite all my faults and we can get together and talk and laugh and laugh and laugh some more! It's so fun to share kid stories and husband stories (only good ones, of course) with people who have the same values, priorities, and feelings! I am also blessed because when I got home everyone was sound asleep and there were no major catastrophies while I was out. Perfect!
We spent the holiday weekend at my parents' house, mainly to swim one more time and visit with my grandparents who are here from Wisconsin. We had a nice time and did some shopping in Springfield on our way home. Reagan did manage to pee her pants at the restaurant we ate at, but I handled it without making too much of a scene! She is doing so much better going on the potty, but she still has her moments where she is not a big girl. Even though she says in the cutest voice- I not baby, I big girl! Ryleigh was just way to easy to potty- train. Oh well, it's all part of being a mommy!
Our calendar is slowly filling up with piano lessons, gymnastics, church, and basketball. I hope we can keep organized and not run ourselves ragged. I am very excited for basketball to start. I am coaching with 2 other moms and we have enough girls to have a team now. We also have a sponsor- hooray! We will start practice next week!
Referrals came out today. GW only got 22 for the Nov. 25 log-ins. Will they ever finish Nov?????????? Yikes, those people have been waiting since we left for China to get Reagan. We know 2 families in China now and it's so exciting to read their daily updates. It makes me want to be there getting Reese so bad. I can't wait to be back in China touring, shopping, and taking in all I can about the culture and history. We are going to celebrate with the Wilson's tonight for Klaire's one year Gotcha Day anniversary. Time goes so fast! It will be fun to see all the little China girls together again!
Quote of the day- Every child is a gift from God, the journey home just takes a little longer for some. Amen to that!
We spent the holiday weekend at my parents' house, mainly to swim one more time and visit with my grandparents who are here from Wisconsin. We had a nice time and did some shopping in Springfield on our way home. Reagan did manage to pee her pants at the restaurant we ate at, but I handled it without making too much of a scene! She is doing so much better going on the potty, but she still has her moments where she is not a big girl. Even though she says in the cutest voice- I not baby, I big girl! Ryleigh was just way to easy to potty- train. Oh well, it's all part of being a mommy!
Our calendar is slowly filling up with piano lessons, gymnastics, church, and basketball. I hope we can keep organized and not run ourselves ragged. I am very excited for basketball to start. I am coaching with 2 other moms and we have enough girls to have a team now. We also have a sponsor- hooray! We will start practice next week!
Referrals came out today. GW only got 22 for the Nov. 25 log-ins. Will they ever finish Nov?????????? Yikes, those people have been waiting since we left for China to get Reagan. We know 2 families in China now and it's so exciting to read their daily updates. It makes me want to be there getting Reese so bad. I can't wait to be back in China touring, shopping, and taking in all I can about the culture and history. We are going to celebrate with the Wilson's tonight for Klaire's one year Gotcha Day anniversary. Time goes so fast! It will be fun to see all the little China girls together again!
Quote of the day- Every child is a gift from God, the journey home just takes a little longer for some. Amen to that!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
First Grade Blues
Ryleigh LOVED her first day of first grade, but I, on the other hand, have contracted a case of first grade blues. It was not any easier to leave her this year than it was last year, so that was my first disappointment. I made it to the van and then the tears started flowing. I know that lots of people look so forward to sending their kids to school, but I am not one of them. I like when we are all home together. Yes, Ryleigh sometimes drives me crazy, but I would much rather have her home! Second disappointment was not knowing the daily schedule in her class at all. No idea when she has recess, what special class she has, when she eats lunch, etc. I am totally out of the loop and I don't like it! If only I was a two year old who could throw myself down and have a good old tantrum! Third disappointment of the day, Tim is picking her up because he got a new extra duty this year where he helps at the bus transfer station at her school. So, I am not the first one to hear about her day. Luckily, she usually tells me a lot more than she tells her daddy. I am very impressed with Mrs. Coffman and I know Ryleigh will have a great year. And somewhere deep down, I am happy about that. But right up front in my mind and heart, I am jealous, because someone else is spending more time with my baby than I am.
Things at home were much quieter with the 4 non-school age kids! Reagan, Ben, Justin, and Lindsey had a blast yesterday. They played so well together, cleaned up great, and all took good naps. As Justin so eloquently put it, "There's no big girls here to be bossy!" Madison did wonderful on her first day of kindergarten. I suppose it won't take very long for us to be in our new routine. I often wonder what life would be like if I didn't babysit. What would Reagan and I do all day?
Reagan is going to a trial run in a gymnastics class tonight! She is very excited! I don't know that she really understands what's going on, but she does like the attention she is getting and everyone asking her "Who's going to gymnastics tonight?" I can't wait to see how she does! If it's anything like swimming lessons, she will move right out of the toddler class and on up with the big kids! And I suspect it won't be long until she falls and breaks a bone as daring and energetic as she is! It will be her first activity that is just for her. Hopefully her big sister will be able to handle being out of the spotlight for 45 minutes!!!
Not much else going on. We know several families who are getting ready to travel to China. It's always so exciting to follow other families on their journey to their children! Too bad it's not us. I am starting to wonder if our little Reese has been conceived yet. I pray that her birth parents will take care of her and put her somewhere safe and that they will be comforted by God's loving arms, knowing that she will be taken care of. I know they could never imagine what her life will be like here, but I hope that can be at peace with their circumstances. I cannot even imagine what it must be like to be faced with abandoning your child. I feel so blessed that we can adopt her and give her the life she deserves and that she will fill our lives with joy and happiness, just like her big sisters. What a complex, emotional situation it is. I just have to keep faith that it's all in God's hands and He will work it out for all of us.
Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see."
Things at home were much quieter with the 4 non-school age kids! Reagan, Ben, Justin, and Lindsey had a blast yesterday. They played so well together, cleaned up great, and all took good naps. As Justin so eloquently put it, "There's no big girls here to be bossy!" Madison did wonderful on her first day of kindergarten. I suppose it won't take very long for us to be in our new routine. I often wonder what life would be like if I didn't babysit. What would Reagan and I do all day?
Reagan is going to a trial run in a gymnastics class tonight! She is very excited! I don't know that she really understands what's going on, but she does like the attention she is getting and everyone asking her "Who's going to gymnastics tonight?" I can't wait to see how she does! If it's anything like swimming lessons, she will move right out of the toddler class and on up with the big kids! And I suspect it won't be long until she falls and breaks a bone as daring and energetic as she is! It will be her first activity that is just for her. Hopefully her big sister will be able to handle being out of the spotlight for 45 minutes!!!
Not much else going on. We know several families who are getting ready to travel to China. It's always so exciting to follow other families on their journey to their children! Too bad it's not us. I am starting to wonder if our little Reese has been conceived yet. I pray that her birth parents will take care of her and put her somewhere safe and that they will be comforted by God's loving arms, knowing that she will be taken care of. I know they could never imagine what her life will be like here, but I hope that can be at peace with their circumstances. I cannot even imagine what it must be like to be faced with abandoning your child. I feel so blessed that we can adopt her and give her the life she deserves and that she will fill our lives with joy and happiness, just like her big sisters. What a complex, emotional situation it is. I just have to keep faith that it's all in God's hands and He will work it out for all of us.
Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see."
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Summer is Winding Down!
Yikes, I cannot believe I didn't post anything to this blog for 2 months! I am terrible at keeping up, especially when Tim and Ryleigh are both home! Well, I guess I can only do better!
We have had a busy and fun summer! We haven't done anything big and fabulous, but we have done a lot of little things close to home! It's cheaper and easier that way! Tim taught summer school and his first class at Drury, so he didn't have much time off. And when he was at home, I made him help me with all my projects and all the kids! We did take time off from me babysitting and let Grandma and PaPa keep the girls so we could spend 2 nights in Eureka Springs. It was so much fun, we wondered why we don't get away more often. The girls had a blast with my mom and dad, so there was nothing to worry about! It was a real treat for us to relax and spend time alone! The cabin we stayed in was beautiful and very secluded, perfect for us! And we had satellite tv- yippee- I got to watch reruns of Beverly Hills 90210 and Little House on the Prairie and Tim watched a million episodes of Man vs. Wild, which gave me lots of time to nap and read my celebrity gossip magazines!
Both the girls learned to swim, so the water has been much more fun this summer. We spent a day at the Camdenton Water Park with Brett and Ryleigh had a ball! Reagan, Lindsey, and Ben had a great time, too! Luckily Tim was with me to help keep track of them! We took a trip to the zoo last week even though it was super hot. They all had a good time, especially watching the River Otters. They were the only animals that were really active!
We spent Father's Day weekend in Kansas City to celebrate my parents' 40th anniversary. My grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins, and my brother's family and sister's family all stayed at The Great Wolf Lodge. It was so nice to all be together and the indoor waterpark was enjoyed by everyone! The kids loved their special rooms decorated like a little log cabin!
We learned some exciting news about Yan, the 13 year old we prayed about adopting. Her forever family lives about 2 hours away from us! We will get to meet her!!! She is so beautiful and joining a very lucky family! I just know that God has some special things in store for her! We look forward to getting to know her family and her!
Ryleigh is all moved to the basement in her very awesome new room! We did a great job decorating and it was defintely a family effort! I love it! Reagan sleeps with her about half the time, but so far there have only been 2 times that I had to intervene and send Reagan to her own bed because of excessive giggling! It's so adorable watching them! It reminds of the fun of growing up with an older sister. Hopefully Ryleigh won't be as bossy and snotty to Reagan as Lori was to me! Ha Ha, just kidding, Lori! They have really gotten along well this summer.
I had a mommy meltdown when Ryleigh got her letter in the mail from her 1st grade teacher. I just freaked a little when I read the part about sitting at her own big first grade desk! I hadn't thought about her not being at little kindergarten tables anymore. The image of her sitting at a real desk, made me cry! It all goes by so fast! Thank God I have been able to stay at home with my kids. We went to "First Grade Sneak Peek" last night so we got to meet her teacher and she got to pick out her own desk! We know she is going to have a great year with Mrs. Coffman, she seems like an excellent teacher and perfect for Ryleigh! Everyone will be happy, but mommy!
Reagan is still working on being a big girl with the potty training thing. We have resorted to bribery with a Snow White princess dress. We look at it everytime we go to Wal-Mart to remind her that big girl princesses wear panties. I am not holding my breath...
We are 5 months into our wait for Reese. Still at least another 18 I am sure. The referrals that came out last week were the people logged in on Nov. 21, 2005. So, there's no point in doing anything but working on patience around here! Her room will stay the way it is for awhile, it will be too sad to have it all ready and then have to wait another year and a half.
Well, hopefully I will post more sooner rather than later!!!
We have had a busy and fun summer! We haven't done anything big and fabulous, but we have done a lot of little things close to home! It's cheaper and easier that way! Tim taught summer school and his first class at Drury, so he didn't have much time off. And when he was at home, I made him help me with all my projects and all the kids! We did take time off from me babysitting and let Grandma and PaPa keep the girls so we could spend 2 nights in Eureka Springs. It was so much fun, we wondered why we don't get away more often. The girls had a blast with my mom and dad, so there was nothing to worry about! It was a real treat for us to relax and spend time alone! The cabin we stayed in was beautiful and very secluded, perfect for us! And we had satellite tv- yippee- I got to watch reruns of Beverly Hills 90210 and Little House on the Prairie and Tim watched a million episodes of Man vs. Wild, which gave me lots of time to nap and read my celebrity gossip magazines!
Both the girls learned to swim, so the water has been much more fun this summer. We spent a day at the Camdenton Water Park with Brett and Ryleigh had a ball! Reagan, Lindsey, and Ben had a great time, too! Luckily Tim was with me to help keep track of them! We took a trip to the zoo last week even though it was super hot. They all had a good time, especially watching the River Otters. They were the only animals that were really active!
We spent Father's Day weekend in Kansas City to celebrate my parents' 40th anniversary. My grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins, and my brother's family and sister's family all stayed at The Great Wolf Lodge. It was so nice to all be together and the indoor waterpark was enjoyed by everyone! The kids loved their special rooms decorated like a little log cabin!
We learned some exciting news about Yan, the 13 year old we prayed about adopting. Her forever family lives about 2 hours away from us! We will get to meet her!!! She is so beautiful and joining a very lucky family! I just know that God has some special things in store for her! We look forward to getting to know her family and her!
Ryleigh is all moved to the basement in her very awesome new room! We did a great job decorating and it was defintely a family effort! I love it! Reagan sleeps with her about half the time, but so far there have only been 2 times that I had to intervene and send Reagan to her own bed because of excessive giggling! It's so adorable watching them! It reminds of the fun of growing up with an older sister. Hopefully Ryleigh won't be as bossy and snotty to Reagan as Lori was to me! Ha Ha, just kidding, Lori! They have really gotten along well this summer.
I had a mommy meltdown when Ryleigh got her letter in the mail from her 1st grade teacher. I just freaked a little when I read the part about sitting at her own big first grade desk! I hadn't thought about her not being at little kindergarten tables anymore. The image of her sitting at a real desk, made me cry! It all goes by so fast! Thank God I have been able to stay at home with my kids. We went to "First Grade Sneak Peek" last night so we got to meet her teacher and she got to pick out her own desk! We know she is going to have a great year with Mrs. Coffman, she seems like an excellent teacher and perfect for Ryleigh! Everyone will be happy, but mommy!
Reagan is still working on being a big girl with the potty training thing. We have resorted to bribery with a Snow White princess dress. We look at it everytime we go to Wal-Mart to remind her that big girl princesses wear panties. I am not holding my breath...
We are 5 months into our wait for Reese. Still at least another 18 I am sure. The referrals that came out last week were the people logged in on Nov. 21, 2005. So, there's no point in doing anything but working on patience around here! Her room will stay the way it is for awhile, it will be too sad to have it all ready and then have to wait another year and a half.
Well, hopefully I will post more sooner rather than later!!!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Catching Up!
Well, so much for keeping up with a daily blog!
There's so much to catch up on and I will try to put my thoughts on paper so someday Reese will know what was going on with her family during our long wait.
To start with, GWCA's Waiting Child list came out on April 27th. Tim and I were both immediately drawn to the oldest child on the list, which if you know us, is not something you would expect! We read every detail of her information and began the process of trying to decide if our family would be a good match for her. I have to say in all honesty, I have never had to make such a tough decision. There were so many things to talk about and consider. Tim and I spent a lot of time talking about her and Reese and praying for God to give us a sign as to what we should do. I would have preferred a flashing neon sign with His plan spelled out, but that didn't happen. The bottom line for me was that my Reese is a baby in China, I am sure of that. The CCAA will not allow you to have two dossiers in China at one time (stupid rule, in my opinion, with the wait being pretty close to forever) and we just couldn't stand the thought of taking our dossier for Reese out of line at this point. As I sit here and type this, it makes me feel selfish for wanting another baby when there are perfectly wonderful older children that would fit in our family. However, we know that God led us to China again for Reese and we have faith that it will all work out.
I think what happened through this whole process of considering an older child is that we were able to open our minds to it and we will keep praying about it and see what happens in the future. We have talked to a lot of people in the adoption communtity about it and have gathered quite a bit of information. We will file it away and continue to search for God's will in our lives. We would like to thank all the people who talked with us openly and honestly about this little girl. I think it is easy for people to judge other couples when we grow our families in a non-traditional way and it is such an awesome feeling to know we have friends and a church family who can open their minds and hearts to these situations. What I have learned the most from our church is that when you put God first and seek His will in all you do, you can't go wrong! And if you surround yourself with people who believe, you will always have a support system no matter what!
By the way, the little girl that we were considering applying for has been chosen by another family. While I am sad that it didn't work out for us to be her family, I am so glad that she will know the love of a family really soon! I will always pray for her and hope she will be happy and healthy in her new life!
Referrals came out today, too. I try to be really excited for the people who are finally get their referral (the latest Log-in Date to receive referrals this time was November 7, 2005) but when you think about how many people are ahead of us, it is easy to get discouraged about the incredibly long wait we have ahead of us. It gets so tiresome trying to explain why it takes so long to people. I love to talk about adoption, don't get me wrong, but when you can't give a straight answer (because there isn't one) it makes it seem like the whole process is a scam. It's very frustrating.
We spent last weekend in Branson because the acrobats at the New Shanghai Circus had a reunion for families with children from China. It was an awesome time! The girls had a blast and we got to spend lots of time with the Wilson family, so it was really fun! We met a lot of nice families and even ran into the family that sat next to us on the way to China! It really can be a small world! It is such a great feeling when you look around at all the happy kids and see how many lives have been touched by adoption. I cannot imagine not knowing the love we have found by adopting from China. I think everyone (well, maybe not everyone, but all decent people!!!) should adopt at least one child, it changes you completely and puts life into perspective. We are so blessed with both of our girls!
One more week until Stacy comes home with Haven from Kaz. What an adventure they have had! I cannot wait to hold that little cutie pie and kiss those little cheeks! We are planning a Welcome Home Party for them and are making a scrapbook to give them as a gift. Several of us got together tonight at church and worked on it- it was so much fun! It is going to be an real tear jerker for Stacy! I drank way to much caffeine while we were there, which is why I am typing this at 12:30 a.m. !! I am not used to having that much Mt. Dew!!!
The girls are both taking swimming lessons and it is going great! They are complete opposites in the water- Ryleigh needs to be more confident and less scared- Reagan needs to be less daring and more afraid! Reagan is being so good and listening to the teacher, I am so impressed! Ryleigh is doing so much more than she would ever do for her mommy and daddy! She was a little nervous to jump in in the deep end, but I think by the end of the week, she will do it! It's going to be a fun summer at the pool!
We are settling in to our crazy summer routine. There are six kids here during the day, including my own, so I don't have much free time. When the little ones are napping, Ryleigh and I work on "homeschool" summer school work! We are having a really nice time together. We wrote a book together and it was hilarious! I love to hear her laugh when we sit and talk together. I dread the day when she gets too old to hang out with me! We are trying to work on neatness in her handwriting! She is reading a lot and loves to get all the kids together to read stories to them!
Tim is teaching summer school and he also just started teaching a college class for Drury two nights a week! It's so different for him to go from 12 year olds to adults, but I know he will do great! He works so hard for us and I am so thankful for that! I am so lucky to be married to him!
Well, I can't think of anything else. Thank you to all you guys who check in regularly to this site to see what's new! I hope to do better about updating! We love to hear from you, so feel free to email us!
There's so much to catch up on and I will try to put my thoughts on paper so someday Reese will know what was going on with her family during our long wait.
To start with, GWCA's Waiting Child list came out on April 27th. Tim and I were both immediately drawn to the oldest child on the list, which if you know us, is not something you would expect! We read every detail of her information and began the process of trying to decide if our family would be a good match for her. I have to say in all honesty, I have never had to make such a tough decision. There were so many things to talk about and consider. Tim and I spent a lot of time talking about her and Reese and praying for God to give us a sign as to what we should do. I would have preferred a flashing neon sign with His plan spelled out, but that didn't happen. The bottom line for me was that my Reese is a baby in China, I am sure of that. The CCAA will not allow you to have two dossiers in China at one time (stupid rule, in my opinion, with the wait being pretty close to forever) and we just couldn't stand the thought of taking our dossier for Reese out of line at this point. As I sit here and type this, it makes me feel selfish for wanting another baby when there are perfectly wonderful older children that would fit in our family. However, we know that God led us to China again for Reese and we have faith that it will all work out.
I think what happened through this whole process of considering an older child is that we were able to open our minds to it and we will keep praying about it and see what happens in the future. We have talked to a lot of people in the adoption communtity about it and have gathered quite a bit of information. We will file it away and continue to search for God's will in our lives. We would like to thank all the people who talked with us openly and honestly about this little girl. I think it is easy for people to judge other couples when we grow our families in a non-traditional way and it is such an awesome feeling to know we have friends and a church family who can open their minds and hearts to these situations. What I have learned the most from our church is that when you put God first and seek His will in all you do, you can't go wrong! And if you surround yourself with people who believe, you will always have a support system no matter what!
By the way, the little girl that we were considering applying for has been chosen by another family. While I am sad that it didn't work out for us to be her family, I am so glad that she will know the love of a family really soon! I will always pray for her and hope she will be happy and healthy in her new life!
Referrals came out today, too. I try to be really excited for the people who are finally get their referral (the latest Log-in Date to receive referrals this time was November 7, 2005) but when you think about how many people are ahead of us, it is easy to get discouraged about the incredibly long wait we have ahead of us. It gets so tiresome trying to explain why it takes so long to people. I love to talk about adoption, don't get me wrong, but when you can't give a straight answer (because there isn't one) it makes it seem like the whole process is a scam. It's very frustrating.
We spent last weekend in Branson because the acrobats at the New Shanghai Circus had a reunion for families with children from China. It was an awesome time! The girls had a blast and we got to spend lots of time with the Wilson family, so it was really fun! We met a lot of nice families and even ran into the family that sat next to us on the way to China! It really can be a small world! It is such a great feeling when you look around at all the happy kids and see how many lives have been touched by adoption. I cannot imagine not knowing the love we have found by adopting from China. I think everyone (well, maybe not everyone, but all decent people!!!) should adopt at least one child, it changes you completely and puts life into perspective. We are so blessed with both of our girls!
One more week until Stacy comes home with Haven from Kaz. What an adventure they have had! I cannot wait to hold that little cutie pie and kiss those little cheeks! We are planning a Welcome Home Party for them and are making a scrapbook to give them as a gift. Several of us got together tonight at church and worked on it- it was so much fun! It is going to be an real tear jerker for Stacy! I drank way to much caffeine while we were there, which is why I am typing this at 12:30 a.m. !! I am not used to having that much Mt. Dew!!!
The girls are both taking swimming lessons and it is going great! They are complete opposites in the water- Ryleigh needs to be more confident and less scared- Reagan needs to be less daring and more afraid! Reagan is being so good and listening to the teacher, I am so impressed! Ryleigh is doing so much more than she would ever do for her mommy and daddy! She was a little nervous to jump in in the deep end, but I think by the end of the week, she will do it! It's going to be a fun summer at the pool!
We are settling in to our crazy summer routine. There are six kids here during the day, including my own, so I don't have much free time. When the little ones are napping, Ryleigh and I work on "homeschool" summer school work! We are having a really nice time together. We wrote a book together and it was hilarious! I love to hear her laugh when we sit and talk together. I dread the day when she gets too old to hang out with me! We are trying to work on neatness in her handwriting! She is reading a lot and loves to get all the kids together to read stories to them!
Tim is teaching summer school and he also just started teaching a college class for Drury two nights a week! It's so different for him to go from 12 year olds to adults, but I know he will do great! He works so hard for us and I am so thankful for that! I am so lucky to be married to him!
Well, I can't think of anything else. Thank you to all you guys who check in regularly to this site to see what's new! I hope to do better about updating! We love to hear from you, so feel free to email us!
Monday, May 14, 2007
Mom Rocks
Mom Rocks was the saying on the card my girls got me! I suppose that is the ultimate compliment these days! Ryleigh wrote me a mother's day book at school. She thinks I am 23 years old and 87 pounds, so I'll go with it! I love, love, love that she can read and write and spell enough to put her own thoughts on paper now! It is so sweet! And Reagan loves to "write" too, so my card was decorate with her doodles. Very special!
We got to see both of our moms yesterday. My parents came up for lunch and then we met the in-laws at the lake for dinner after we shopped. It was a good day all around! Tim and I are supposed to get a new bed (hooray, hooray, hooray!) this week, so we bought a new comforter set. I am very excited! I am sure we will get much better sleep at night in a bed that's not 20 years old and so flat and torn, it probably wouldn't even sell at a yard sale!
We seem to keep messing things up around the house to get ready for Reese to join our family, but I think eventually everything will have a place and will be put there for good! Then we will still have a year to wait for our baby. Oh well...
We are winding down the school year and I am so ready for Ryleigh to be at home with me! I am planning all kinds of fun stuff for us to do this summer! She will love being home with Reagan and all the babysitting kiddos! She has her dance recital this Saturday (mommy is definitely ready to be done with dance forever) and her last soccer game is tomorrow night (mommy is sad about that!). I am ready to take a break from all the activities and not be so busy at night.
We went to Silver Dollar City on Saturday with Tim's student council kids. We had a perfect day! There is so much to do there now, I really think you could spend 2 whole days now. The girls both had a blast and the weather was beautiful! We got some great pictures, too! Maybe Tim can get some posted on here, since all I know how to do is type!
We got to see both of our moms yesterday. My parents came up for lunch and then we met the in-laws at the lake for dinner after we shopped. It was a good day all around! Tim and I are supposed to get a new bed (hooray, hooray, hooray!) this week, so we bought a new comforter set. I am very excited! I am sure we will get much better sleep at night in a bed that's not 20 years old and so flat and torn, it probably wouldn't even sell at a yard sale!
We seem to keep messing things up around the house to get ready for Reese to join our family, but I think eventually everything will have a place and will be put there for good! Then we will still have a year to wait for our baby. Oh well...
We are winding down the school year and I am so ready for Ryleigh to be at home with me! I am planning all kinds of fun stuff for us to do this summer! She will love being home with Reagan and all the babysitting kiddos! She has her dance recital this Saturday (mommy is definitely ready to be done with dance forever) and her last soccer game is tomorrow night (mommy is sad about that!). I am ready to take a break from all the activities and not be so busy at night.
We went to Silver Dollar City on Saturday with Tim's student council kids. We had a perfect day! There is so much to do there now, I really think you could spend 2 whole days now. The girls both had a blast and the weather was beautiful! We got some great pictures, too! Maybe Tim can get some posted on here, since all I know how to do is type!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Spring Has Sprung (again!)
The weather has been beautiful the past few days and we have taken advantage of it by spending a lot of time outside! We got together with some other adoptive families on Saturday and had a terrific time! It was the first time meeting a few of them and it was so great to finally meet them after "meeting" on the yahoo group we started for adoptive families in our area. There were a total of 12 kids and 9 of them were from China! Just to see all the happy faces and how each little girl fits perfectly into her forever family, makes your heart burst with happiness! Reagan, of course, was a little maniac running around the park, climbing to the top of the biggest slide! Ryleigh had fun with her friend Kassidy! Tim and I enjoyed visiting with the other parents! What a blessing to share our stories with eachother!
I haven't had much time lately to post and actually, there hasn't been much going on to write about! My dad was back in the hospital because his leg was infected where they took the vein out for his heart surgery. He finally got to come home yesterday. My mom (who is NEVER sick) came down with strep throat and was not able to get out of bed for several days. I felt so bad for both of them! Hopefully this will be a better week!
Ryleigh is getting excited for summer. She has had such a great kindergarten year (thanks, Julie!) and I cannot believe it is almost over. I am looking forward to having her home with the rest of us! We talked about all the fun things we are going to do! Tim is planning his summer school class, he is changing it to Myth Busters and I think he and the kids will love it! I am glad he is trying something new. The Science and Technology class was getting boring for him, since all the kids want to do is chat on the internet with the person sitting next to them or play stupid computer games.
We have been receiving tons of pictures from Brad and Stacy of Haven! She is so adorable! I think anyone that is hesitant to adopt should talk to Brad! The pictures of him with Haven are priceless! We cannot wait for them to get home so we can kiss her cute little face! They have several weeks left in Kaz! Things are going great for them and we are thanking God for that!
Thank you for keeping up with our blog, I promise it will get more interesting!
I haven't had much time lately to post and actually, there hasn't been much going on to write about! My dad was back in the hospital because his leg was infected where they took the vein out for his heart surgery. He finally got to come home yesterday. My mom (who is NEVER sick) came down with strep throat and was not able to get out of bed for several days. I felt so bad for both of them! Hopefully this will be a better week!
Ryleigh is getting excited for summer. She has had such a great kindergarten year (thanks, Julie!) and I cannot believe it is almost over. I am looking forward to having her home with the rest of us! We talked about all the fun things we are going to do! Tim is planning his summer school class, he is changing it to Myth Busters and I think he and the kids will love it! I am glad he is trying something new. The Science and Technology class was getting boring for him, since all the kids want to do is chat on the internet with the person sitting next to them or play stupid computer games.
We have been receiving tons of pictures from Brad and Stacy of Haven! She is so adorable! I think anyone that is hesitant to adopt should talk to Brad! The pictures of him with Haven are priceless! We cannot wait for them to get home so we can kiss her cute little face! They have several weeks left in Kaz! Things are going great for them and we are thanking God for that!
Thank you for keeping up with our blog, I promise it will get more interesting!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
College Will Come Too Soon
It's been a hectic week getting my new kids used to our daily routine, but I have to say that they fit in perfectly and I couldn't ask for a better family! Hopefully Ben will love playing with Justin when he comes back on Monday! Justin already brought Spiderman pencils to share with "the boy" as he calls him! So cute!
I have tried not to listen to any news today, as I get sucked in watching and hearing all the grisly and disturbing details of the Virginia Tech tragedy. I had such an eerie feeling when I first heard about it because I had been thinking about how it will feel when my kids head off to college. I had been thinking about a family at church who sat in front of us on Sunday who has a daughter in college and how it must feel to come to church without her and pretty much cut the strings and let her be her own person. How incredibly hard that must be, even if you are confident in the way you raised your children, it must leave such an emptiness knowing that part of your relationship is done! I was also thinking how much harder it is for me to take Ryleigh to school and watch her walk in the building all by herself than it is to send her with Tim. I don't know why, except when I take her, I sit and watch her be so big and confident and she turns and waves with a huge smile. At home when they leave it's always a big rush and fifty questions- did you get your lunch, your backpack, your Bear Binder, etc.? How will I ever let them go away to college???? EEK! Then this tragedy happens and you just think how horrible and unfair it is that those students were getting ready to embark on so many new journeys and start their life independent from their parents. My heart just breaks for them.
I guess since there is no way to really keep your children safe from violence like that, all you can do is teach them about God and show them the right path and hope that they make good decisions so that if something does happen, you can find peace that they are going to Heaven, which has to be the only peace about such an awful, terrible tragedy. You just have to have faith that God is with you no matter how tough the situation is and only He can heal your heart.
On a happier subject... Stacy came by this morning and she is headed to Kaz tomorrow!!!! It's so emotional saying good-bye to a friend who is getting ready to make the trip of a lifetime! I am so excited to hear about little Haven, I can hardly stand it! I will be praying for their safety and health as they travel and for Haven to bond with them quickly! I know she will!
Ryleigh went to the Nature Center with her class for their field trip today. Being the overprotective parents we are, we thought that Tim should take his personal day and go along! I am anxious to hear how it went! I told Julie that Tim would have a whole new appreciation for kindergarten teachers! It's a beautiful day and I know they are having a blast!
I have tried not to listen to any news today, as I get sucked in watching and hearing all the grisly and disturbing details of the Virginia Tech tragedy. I had such an eerie feeling when I first heard about it because I had been thinking about how it will feel when my kids head off to college. I had been thinking about a family at church who sat in front of us on Sunday who has a daughter in college and how it must feel to come to church without her and pretty much cut the strings and let her be her own person. How incredibly hard that must be, even if you are confident in the way you raised your children, it must leave such an emptiness knowing that part of your relationship is done! I was also thinking how much harder it is for me to take Ryleigh to school and watch her walk in the building all by herself than it is to send her with Tim. I don't know why, except when I take her, I sit and watch her be so big and confident and she turns and waves with a huge smile. At home when they leave it's always a big rush and fifty questions- did you get your lunch, your backpack, your Bear Binder, etc.? How will I ever let them go away to college???? EEK! Then this tragedy happens and you just think how horrible and unfair it is that those students were getting ready to embark on so many new journeys and start their life independent from their parents. My heart just breaks for them.
I guess since there is no way to really keep your children safe from violence like that, all you can do is teach them about God and show them the right path and hope that they make good decisions so that if something does happen, you can find peace that they are going to Heaven, which has to be the only peace about such an awful, terrible tragedy. You just have to have faith that God is with you no matter how tough the situation is and only He can heal your heart.
On a happier subject... Stacy came by this morning and she is headed to Kaz tomorrow!!!! It's so emotional saying good-bye to a friend who is getting ready to make the trip of a lifetime! I am so excited to hear about little Haven, I can hardly stand it! I will be praying for their safety and health as they travel and for Haven to bond with them quickly! I know she will!
Ryleigh went to the Nature Center with her class for their field trip today. Being the overprotective parents we are, we thought that Tim should take his personal day and go along! I am anxious to hear how it went! I told Julie that Tim would have a whole new appreciation for kindergarten teachers! It's a beautiful day and I know they are having a blast!
Monday, April 16, 2007
It's A Sunshine Day!
For you Brady Bunch fans, sing it with me, "It's a Sunshine Day, everybody's smilin', sunshine day!" What a difference a few days makes! Saturday morning it was snowing, now it's as beautiful as it can be with temperatures in the 70's! Praise the Lord!
Everything seems to be much better around here! My new babysitting kids are just as precious as they can be and will be starting tomorrow! What a blessing! We got new shelves put in the closet in the office/arts and crafts room, so I can start organizing and putting away all the stuff I have taken out of Ryleigh's new room and the napping room. Now all I have to do is find the time to accomplish this feat of finding all the odds and ends a new home (that I can remember when the time comes to find something!!).
We had a conference call for GWCA Regional Officers on Saturday. It was looooooong, but it's always good to have a refresher course in how to help families. We had one couple come to our workshop, which was a total, but very nice, surprise! They were very friendly and I am praying that this option works for them. My heart just goes out to those couples who have been married for 10+ years and haven't had any luck conceiving. I hope we did a good job of showing them what a beautiful option Chinese adoption is!
I am feeling better about the wait for Reese. I cannot fall into the trap of reading negative feelings and people who are really angry and upset about it. The wait is what it is and I know that after that wait I will be a mother of 3 wonderful daughters and our life will never be the same! It will be that much better! The four of us have been hanging around the dinner table lately and just being goofy after we eat. Reagan has been cracking us all up with her funny expressions and then Ryleigh will say the funniest comments. We are such nerds, but I wouldn't trade these family moments for anything! It makes me feel so awesome when we take time out of the "rat race" to just be together. I hope my girls will remember those times forever! I am anxious for Reese to join us in all of our craziness!
One of my yahoo groups is challenging ourselves to walk to China before our referral (as a group). So, we have thousands of miles to go from Austin (where GWCA headquarters is) to Beijing. It will be a fun excuse to get back into shape! I am looking forward to a lot of other cyber activities with other waiting families!
Everything seems to be much better around here! My new babysitting kids are just as precious as they can be and will be starting tomorrow! What a blessing! We got new shelves put in the closet in the office/arts and crafts room, so I can start organizing and putting away all the stuff I have taken out of Ryleigh's new room and the napping room. Now all I have to do is find the time to accomplish this feat of finding all the odds and ends a new home (that I can remember when the time comes to find something!!).
We had a conference call for GWCA Regional Officers on Saturday. It was looooooong, but it's always good to have a refresher course in how to help families. We had one couple come to our workshop, which was a total, but very nice, surprise! They were very friendly and I am praying that this option works for them. My heart just goes out to those couples who have been married for 10+ years and haven't had any luck conceiving. I hope we did a good job of showing them what a beautiful option Chinese adoption is!
I am feeling better about the wait for Reese. I cannot fall into the trap of reading negative feelings and people who are really angry and upset about it. The wait is what it is and I know that after that wait I will be a mother of 3 wonderful daughters and our life will never be the same! It will be that much better! The four of us have been hanging around the dinner table lately and just being goofy after we eat. Reagan has been cracking us all up with her funny expressions and then Ryleigh will say the funniest comments. We are such nerds, but I wouldn't trade these family moments for anything! It makes me feel so awesome when we take time out of the "rat race" to just be together. I hope my girls will remember those times forever! I am anxious for Reese to join us in all of our craziness!
One of my yahoo groups is challenging ourselves to walk to China before our referral (as a group). So, we have thousands of miles to go from Austin (where GWCA headquarters is) to Beijing. It will be a fun excuse to get back into shape! I am looking forward to a lot of other cyber activities with other waiting families!
Friday, April 13, 2007
Rain, Rain, Go Away
This rainy and cold weather does not do much to lift your spirits! I just heard it might be snowing in the morning. Are you kidding me, snow in April???? YUCK! I didn't even get to enjoy my tulips this year and they are my favorite flowers. Oh, well! Next year they will spring up and give me hope after it has been an entire year waiting for Reese's referrral!
We will be celebrating my nephew's 4th birthday this weekend with my family. We also have a workshop scheduled at our local library, but as usual, nobody has shown any interest. I have to admit it's a little bit hard to face potential families and tell them what the wait is like. However, I do believe we are doing a great thing by promoting Chinese adoption, after all, the wait is about the only negative side and that will change soon (positive thinking)!
Monday I will meet my two new babysitting kids and I am very excited about that! They are 5 and 3 and I think they will fit in great with Reagan, Lindsey, and Ben (who is coming back on the 23rd- hooray!). I am trying to get everything ready and all the coolest toys out! It always makes me nervous that new kids won't like me, so I try to bribe them with toys! I have a good feeling about this family working out, though!
One week until Stacy and Brad leave for Kaz! We are so anxious to hear from them when they meet Haven for the first time! I know that Addison will be a great big sister and I am sure there will be lots of funny comments made by her! We feel so blessed to be a part of their adoption journey!
We will be celebrating my nephew's 4th birthday this weekend with my family. We also have a workshop scheduled at our local library, but as usual, nobody has shown any interest. I have to admit it's a little bit hard to face potential families and tell them what the wait is like. However, I do believe we are doing a great thing by promoting Chinese adoption, after all, the wait is about the only negative side and that will change soon (positive thinking)!
Monday I will meet my two new babysitting kids and I am very excited about that! They are 5 and 3 and I think they will fit in great with Reagan, Lindsey, and Ben (who is coming back on the 23rd- hooray!). I am trying to get everything ready and all the coolest toys out! It always makes me nervous that new kids won't like me, so I try to bribe them with toys! I have a good feeling about this family working out, though!
One week until Stacy and Brad leave for Kaz! We are so anxious to hear from them when they meet Haven for the first time! I know that Addison will be a great big sister and I am sure there will be lots of funny comments made by her! We feel so blessed to be a part of their adoption journey!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Don't Wish Your Life Away
The last few days have been filled with the normal routine, except for the fact that the phrase "wait times increasing to 24-36 months" has been popping up in my head much to frequently. Even though GWCA is very supportive and assures us there is no way to predict referral timeframes (and any agecny or individual that claims to know, is kidding themselves) it is still hard to stomach the thought of not having a clue when our little Reese (or Reesie piecy, as her big sissy calls her)will come home. Things can and most likely, will speed up at some point, but when? Who knows...
So, to pass the free time I have (which isn't much!!) I keep reading other families blogs and all my yahoo groups' posts. One in particular struck my like a ton of bricks today. This waiting mommy said she keeps thinking about what her momma always told her, "don't wish your life away". Is that appropriate or what?!?!? I did it for years trying to get pregnant and then regretted not focusing on how happy Ryleigh made us. We concentrated so long on having another baby that we sometimes forgot to just enjoy our perfect little Ryleigh! Not that she has been mistreated or unloved, but Tim and I both spent a lot of energy on baby #2 that could have been spent on something else (like teaching Ryleigh not to whine, complain, talk back, etc.!!!!).
I am trying to live in the moment and let God take it in His hands. Reese will come to us at the perfect time in the way it is supposed to be. And meanwhile I will try to prepare for her and enjoy her sisters (and her daddy)in the way they deserve.
On a funny note... Reagan mooned me today! Not that I am proud of that, but it was so hilarious! She pulled down her "monkey George" panties and said "Mom, look, funny". How does she know that that kind of behavior is supposed to be funny??? Must have been something she learned in China, because none of us would show our big fat butts to anyone unless we were trying to scare them away!
Thank you to all the friends and family members who are so supportive through the adoption process! We love to hear from our loved ones, so keep the emails coming!
So, to pass the free time I have (which isn't much!!) I keep reading other families blogs and all my yahoo groups' posts. One in particular struck my like a ton of bricks today. This waiting mommy said she keeps thinking about what her momma always told her, "don't wish your life away". Is that appropriate or what?!?!? I did it for years trying to get pregnant and then regretted not focusing on how happy Ryleigh made us. We concentrated so long on having another baby that we sometimes forgot to just enjoy our perfect little Ryleigh! Not that she has been mistreated or unloved, but Tim and I both spent a lot of energy on baby #2 that could have been spent on something else (like teaching Ryleigh not to whine, complain, talk back, etc.!!!!).
I am trying to live in the moment and let God take it in His hands. Reese will come to us at the perfect time in the way it is supposed to be. And meanwhile I will try to prepare for her and enjoy her sisters (and her daddy)in the way they deserve.
On a funny note... Reagan mooned me today! Not that I am proud of that, but it was so hilarious! She pulled down her "monkey George" panties and said "Mom, look, funny". How does she know that that kind of behavior is supposed to be funny??? Must have been something she learned in China, because none of us would show our big fat butts to anyone unless we were trying to scare them away!
Thank you to all the friends and family members who are so supportive through the adoption process! We love to hear from our loved ones, so keep the emails coming!
Monday, April 9, 2007
Stork Has Landed
UGH! The "stork" has landed at GWCA and the only people who got referrals were the ones logged in on Oct. 26, 2005. That means those people have been waiting since before we met Reagan. That is FOREVER!!!!!! UGH, UGH, and double UGH. This is not looking good for a speed up any time soon.
Random thoughts swirling in my head...
Good things come to those who wait.
Patience is a virtue.
Time flies when you are having fun.
This, too, shall pass.
With God all things are possible.
Be still and know that I am God.
Pray without ceasing.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Good night and God Bless.
Random thoughts swirling in my head...
Good things come to those who wait.
Patience is a virtue.
Time flies when you are having fun.
This, too, shall pass.
With God all things are possible.
Be still and know that I am God.
Pray without ceasing.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Good night and God Bless.
Chimpanzees and Pringles
The girls didn't seem to notice that the Easter bunny was on a tight budget this year! Neither one of them had asked for anything, which makes me feel sooooo good that they (for now, anyway) focus on the true meaning of Christmas and Easter instead of the presents and junk. So, when we were taking pictures of them in their Easter dresses, I asked them to hold up their favorite thing out of their basket. Ryleigh picked up this little chimpanzee (the Easter bunny knows that she LOVES to play with her dollhouse and thought it would be a cute pet for the dollhouse people!) and Reagan grabs her can of Pringles (which she carried around while she hunted for eggs, I suppose in fear that someone might swipe them!). It's the simple things in life, I tell you! I love my girls, they are both so hilarious and have such fun personalities!
Referrals are due to come out anytime now and we are anxiously awaiting news of what LID's will be included. Even though we are at the bottom of the list, we know that if they include a lot of dates, the speed up might be starting. If there are only a few dates included in this batch, we will be depressed that our wait will be that much longer. I hadn't taken the time to figure out 18 months from our LID of March 8 until this weekend. September 2008 will be 18 months. I am being optimistic that it will be a good time of year to travel. But, I know in my heart of hearts that the chances of it being 18 months is not that great unless things really speed up. And I don't know how the Olympics in Beijing will affect things. There is still so much time until we know anything, so until then I have to focus on other things...
My organizing is going well. I am very proud to say I have almost finished cleaning out Ryleigh's new room and we think we might have found some wallpaper border that we all like. I have managed to get all of my sewing stuff put in it's new home and my scrapbook corner is somewhat organized (now if I just had time to scrapbook!). I have all the arts and crafts stuff for the kids in one spot, but it is a disaster. I will try to work on it this week. Slowly, but surely we will be ready for our third child! Of course, if I could go to China tomorrow I would and I would say to heck with all the organizing!!!
Our friends, Brad and Stacy, will be traveling to Kazakastan (I don't think I spelled that correctly) to meet their new daughter, Haven. They are leaving on the 20th and will be back on June 20th, so hopefully keeping up with their journey will be a good distraction! We are very anxious to meet baby Haven and learn more about the adoption process over there. Please pray for their health and safety as they travel.
Referrals are due to come out anytime now and we are anxiously awaiting news of what LID's will be included. Even though we are at the bottom of the list, we know that if they include a lot of dates, the speed up might be starting. If there are only a few dates included in this batch, we will be depressed that our wait will be that much longer. I hadn't taken the time to figure out 18 months from our LID of March 8 until this weekend. September 2008 will be 18 months. I am being optimistic that it will be a good time of year to travel. But, I know in my heart of hearts that the chances of it being 18 months is not that great unless things really speed up. And I don't know how the Olympics in Beijing will affect things. There is still so much time until we know anything, so until then I have to focus on other things...
My organizing is going well. I am very proud to say I have almost finished cleaning out Ryleigh's new room and we think we might have found some wallpaper border that we all like. I have managed to get all of my sewing stuff put in it's new home and my scrapbook corner is somewhat organized (now if I just had time to scrapbook!). I have all the arts and crafts stuff for the kids in one spot, but it is a disaster. I will try to work on it this week. Slowly, but surely we will be ready for our third child! Of course, if I could go to China tomorrow I would and I would say to heck with all the organizing!!!
Our friends, Brad and Stacy, will be traveling to Kazakastan (I don't think I spelled that correctly) to meet their new daughter, Haven. They are leaving on the 20th and will be back on June 20th, so hopefully keeping up with their journey will be a good distraction! We are very anxious to meet baby Haven and learn more about the adoption process over there. Please pray for their health and safety as they travel.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
A Room at the Bottom
Okay, so Ryleigh is getting super excited about her new room in the basement. So, we decided we would start working on getting things rearranged and organized so we can start the redecorating/moving process. My thought was we would do a little at a time, since, after all, we have at least 18 months before Reese is home with us. But, it seems, when you start, it is hard to stop!!! One mess leads to another and then before you know it, everything is piled here and there and it's total chaos!!! Yikes. So, my thought has changed to this... get everything out of Ry's new room and get the stuff put in it's new place (which requires rearranging a ton of stuff). We will have a new Arts and Crafts space in Tim's office, a new sewing space in the storage room where the water heater is, and a new napping room for the babysitting kids. I just know once we get this stuff done, I will feel so great and organized!!! Everything has a place, it just needs to be cleaned and moved! We are total pack-rats, but I am going to have to get rid of some of this junk!
I am anxious to see how we end up decorating Ryleigh's room. She came to the conclusion that a "monkey-basketball" room would be really cool. Yeah, good luck finding that decor. Luckily Aunt Lori is going through wallpaper books and paint swatches to give us some more reasonable ideas! We shall see...
Easter is upon us and this Easter bunny has fallen a little behind on the job. It's impossible to buy stuff ahead of time when your kids are always with you! I hope I can sneak away long enough to get a little something! I didn't even remember to get out the Easter decorations. Oh well, there's always next year!
I am anxious to see how we end up decorating Ryleigh's room. She came to the conclusion that a "monkey-basketball" room would be really cool. Yeah, good luck finding that decor. Luckily Aunt Lori is going through wallpaper books and paint swatches to give us some more reasonable ideas! We shall see...
Easter is upon us and this Easter bunny has fallen a little behind on the job. It's impossible to buy stuff ahead of time when your kids are always with you! I hope I can sneak away long enough to get a little something! I didn't even remember to get out the Easter decorations. Oh well, there's always next year!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Another Day Closer
That's what I am telling myself today, when Reese seems so far away. It's a funny thing about the international adoption community... you think that people who have been through the same type circumstances are so much like you, then you realize that "it takes all kinds of people". There are so many people who like to stir up controversy and spread rumors and focus on the negative. It's really depressing! I don't want to believe everything I read on my billions of yahoo groups, but gosh, it is hard not to let the negative affect me!
I know it is going to be a long wait for Reese and I know there are lots of postitives to that long wait. The main one being, it gives us time to save the money to fund the rest of her adoption. And it gives Reagan a chance to get a little older, so she might remember the trip to China to get her sister. And it gives Ryleigh time get settled in her new room in the basement. And it gives me time to get more organized. And it gives us time to come up with a middle name. And so on...
But then I get all impatient and I want her home with us NOW! I want it to be a short wait like it was with Reagan! (Yes, I am doing the exact kind of whining that my children do that drives me crazy!!!) I keep thinking that if it is more than an 18 month wait, someone could give birth to 2 children before I get to travel to China. That's so insane!
Okay, so as usual, I am a little slow at giving my problems over to God, who is the One in control anyway. So here we go, Lord, please give me patience, please remind me that everything happens in Your perfect time. Please watch over Reese (who probably isn't even born yet) and her birth family and help her be healthy and safe until we can go get her. Help me stay focused on the important things in life and not get wrapped up reading garbage on the internet. Amen.
Okay, I feel better!
I know it is going to be a long wait for Reese and I know there are lots of postitives to that long wait. The main one being, it gives us time to save the money to fund the rest of her adoption. And it gives Reagan a chance to get a little older, so she might remember the trip to China to get her sister. And it gives Ryleigh time get settled in her new room in the basement. And it gives me time to get more organized. And it gives us time to come up with a middle name. And so on...
But then I get all impatient and I want her home with us NOW! I want it to be a short wait like it was with Reagan! (Yes, I am doing the exact kind of whining that my children do that drives me crazy!!!) I keep thinking that if it is more than an 18 month wait, someone could give birth to 2 children before I get to travel to China. That's so insane!
Okay, so as usual, I am a little slow at giving my problems over to God, who is the One in control anyway. So here we go, Lord, please give me patience, please remind me that everything happens in Your perfect time. Please watch over Reese (who probably isn't even born yet) and her birth family and help her be healthy and safe until we can go get her. Help me stay focused on the important things in life and not get wrapped up reading garbage on the internet. Amen.
Okay, I feel better!
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